Do you have a cat and have you noticed that he often looks for the grass that you have in your house or that there is in the street ? Your cat does not want to damage your decoration: cat grass is actually very important for the cat, especially for its organism. In this article, we will explain why your cat is behaving like this and show you what this grass is for while teaching you how to use catnip. If you have a cat or are planning to have one, our tips may be useful, but they will be even more useful for your pet !
Why do cats eat grass ?
That's probably the first question that comes to mind. There are several reasons for consuming this herb and all are related to your cat's health and are therefore very important :
• It's a supplement to his diet. Grass juice contains folic acid which is a vitamin is beneficial for your cat's development and increases the amount of oxygen in the blood. Of course, if your cat eats too much grass, then this may mean that his diet is deficient which explains why he goes looking for these extra nutrients.
• This herb has laxative properties which will greatly help your cat to have regular stool, which is especially important if something obstructs its intestines, such as remains or even hairs balls. This intestinal problem is very annoying to your cat and can sometimes even make it even more aggressive, so it is important and healthy for your cat to consume this herb. You tend to spot some ailments like constipation only at a very advanced stage, because we don't pay attention to them and because your cat doesn't let you know. If your cat can eat grass whenever it wants, you can solve the problem as soon as you start to notice any discomfort in your cat.
• Clean up, that is, empty his stomach. Many cats eat this grass and then vomit. Why is that ? In fact, once the grass is in the stomach, the cat vomits more easily to evacuate what gave it pain in the stomach. With this process, the cat can remove food residues, hair, feathers, bones or even parasites that can pose a more serious threat to its health.
What grass can your cat eat?
First of all, it is extremely important that your cat does not eat grass with traces of pesticides or other chemicals. If your pet can get out of your house on the street, he'll already know what grass to eat and what grass to avoid. If you have a garden with a lawn, pay attention to pesticides and if your cat is still inside the house, you can prepare pots with grass specially for it.
Catnip is not a plant in itself, but these are seeds that you have to buy to plant and grow. It is easy to find and can be purchased directly with pots, seeds and substrate so that it starts to grow in only 3 or 4 days.
If you can't find this set, you can buy seeds and prepare pots. You need :
• A container (this can be a container or a pot))
• A substrate (soil, as natural as possible and especially without chemicals))
• Seeds (wheat, oat or bird seed))
• Water
The steps to follow when planting cat grass are very simple: first you have to put the substrate in the pot or pot, add the seeds and cover them with another layer of substrate. Add water and cover with plastic (plastic wrap will do nicely).
The difference between catnip and mint
Catnip and mint can be easily confused as both plants and are used to cure or prevent diseases in cats. As we have seen, catnip allows cats to purge their stomach or treat constipation. However, mint (Nepeta Cataria) has other properties . :
• It stimulates perspiration, which can be used in case of high fever.
• It is effective against cough, chronic bronchitis, cold and flu.
• It regulates menstruation.
• It is also used to treat gastrointestinal disorders (such as diarrhea), nervous disorders (such as insomnia), and respiratory disorders as well as anemia, weakness, headache, fever and cancer.
• It is used as an ointment to treat hemorrhoids.
• When used as an enema, it can treat convulsions or hysteria.
In addition, cat grass is attributed with aphrodisiac, aromatic, carminative, sedative, cooling or tonic properties, among others. Now that you know the effects of each plant on your cat, you just have to choose one of the two according to the ailments that affect your cat.
If you would like to read more articles similar to how to use catnip, we recommend you check out the pet category.